Upcoming 2018 is the Year of the Dog, eleventh sign in the 12-year Chinese zodiac. Not only are dogs humanity's best friend, but they also have many characteristics that provide useful lessons for business and people generally. 

Chinese tradition has it that, when a dog chooses to walk into your life, it is a symbol of coming good fortune. Businesspeople learning the lessons that a dog can teach are also likely to make their own good luck.

Dogs live in the present. Dogs have a wonderful talent for being totally focused on the present. In contrast, we humans carry a lot of emotional baggage from the past and spend far too much time worrying about the future. Most of the things we worry about and fear never happen.  

Dogs are totally focused. A business person who is the same in regard to their customer; a manufacturer totally concentrating on quality; anyone focused on doing the right thing and doing it as best they can -- these are the pathways to success.

Dogs are not overly judgmental. Dogs don't judge you by what you own, but take you as you are and love you without reservation. The older I become, the more I see the harm that comes from being overly judgmental. We seem to take far too much pleasure from negatively judging other people, which can prove totally inaccurate, unfair and overly broad. 

Being overly judgmental will cause one to lose or weaken many relationships and that is not good business. In contrast to the negative attributions humans too often fall prey to, a dog will err on the side of the positive. As humor writer, Dave Barry, writes: "You can say any foolish thing to a dog, and the dog will give you a look that says, 'Wow, you're right! I never would've thought of that!'"

And, as famous Dog Whisperer, Cesar Milan notes: "Dogs don't rationalize. They don't hold anything against a person. They don't see the outside of a human, but the inside." Sometimes business people can grow to be cynical and highly judgmental. It is important to remain open to new ideas and the power of people to change for the better.

Dogs keep the life simple. They don't clutter up their lives with junk. They don't impulse buy and acquire things they don't need. They simply want to be fed, have a secure and warm place to sleep, be exercised and be loved. The foundation of many successful businesses is to find a simpler way of doing things.  

Other innovation comes from making a complex product simpler to use, as shown by the passion of Steve Jobs and Apple Computers. Often the best designs, the best solutions are simple and elegant at the same time. 

Dogs don't have a big ego. Another fatal flaw of many is that we let ego get in the way. Consequently, we make poor decisions and focus on ourselves instead of others and fail to see the reality of things. Dogs, in contrast, being highly social animals, are hard wired to see the other person and be focused on the social clues that enable them to fit in, to find their place, to network for success. As humorist Josh Billings says, "A dog is the only thing on Earth that loves you more than he loves himself."

Dogs are natural collaborators. One of the key skills for success in business is the ability to collaborate effectively. This is the secret of effective teams; and high performing teams lead to good growth and scale of a business. As Rudyard Kipling writes in his delightful Second Jungle Book: 

"Now this is the Law of the Jungle -- as old and as true as the sky;
And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back—
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack."

Dogs are loyal and protective. Related to friendship are a dog's qualities of loyalty and protectiveness. For over a decade our family had an amazing member, namely a beautiful rough collie, named Nicky. Although a large dog, I was always amazed by the care and gentleness he displayed to our young daughters. He was also very protective of them and of our yard.  

Similarly, those businesses do best when their employees are loyal and treat the employer's business as if it were their own. In return, those employers are best who treat their employees well. Indeed, many regard their employees as extensions of their family. As writer Mark Twain observed: "If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he won't bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and man."

Dogs are honest communicators. If they are hungry, want to go outside, or seek a gentle pat or scratch, they will let you know. Humans are more likely to play games; hide their true feelings and fail to communicate. Dogs are especially good listeners and seem to have a wonderful knack of sensing your mood and responding to your needs. 

Dogs are adaptable. They seldom complain. If you move to another location; they are happy to go, too, as long as you are there. They appreciate the person more than the place. 

Dogs have a positive attitude. Most dogs approaching a group of people will put their head down and approach with their tails or sometimes their entire body wagging. Their openness and friendliness wins even the hardest of hearts. Our world would be a warmer, friendlier place if we greeted one another with similar enthusiasm and warmth. 

Unfortunately, today we are often locked into our own technology devices, heads down, not paying attention to the other person standing or sitting right in front or beside us. Those businesses that create a culture where it is fun to work will attract and keep the best talent. 

Dogs see and bring out the best in people. More often than not, dogs bring out the best in us. Perhaps this is because they see the best version of ourselves. They make us feel relaxed. Become less guarded and our inner light is able to shine forth. As Aldous Huxley observed, "To his dog, every man is Napoleon; hence the constant popularity of dogs." At the same time, it's important for us to have a little humility and realize that our dog's undying admiration is not proof positive that we are always wonderful.  

Dogs value routine and habit. They like to be fed and walked at regular times. Success in business and in life is a by-product of developing lifelong habits. These include: keeping your promises, showing up and on time, being prepared, paying attention, working hard, and so on. 

Dogs are authentic. Dogs are simply themselves; they are genuine and authentic. We humans are often overly concerned about trying or pretending to be something other than what we are. Unfortunately, the world of social media, television and film can delude us into thinking that everyone is having a great time except ourselves. As Oscar Wilde (and dogs) remind us: "Be yourself; everyone else is already taken."

Dogs high in emotional intelligence (EQ). We read much today about the importance of emotional intelligence. EQ is especially powerful in the service industries and jobs/businesses where EQ is required will likely be the safest from robots and computers. 

It is not surprising dogs are often used in therapy and as companionship for the millions of people who are lonely, depressed or isolated. They can bring us great comfort and joy.  

Dogs nurture trust. Human beings evolved as small groups of hunter-gatherers. It is challenging for us to develop trust outside of our inner group. Yet, successful business, especially on a global scale, requires a company to develop consumer trust in relation to their brand.  

Again, dogs seem to do this almost naturally. Sadly, in today's society, children are taught to be wary of strangers.

Dogs can keep a secret. "Dogs are better than human beings because they know but do not tell," said the poet Emily Dickinson. Too many of us have a keen sense of rumor. We talk too much and love to gossip. Yet, in an Information Age, trade secrets and other valuable business information needs to be protected.  

The ready availability of social media unfortunately means that we are tempted to wag our tongues rather than listen, reflect, think critically, suspend judgment, know when we should remain silent and keep secrets to ourselves. Keeping secrets also builds trust. 

In conclusion, let us, at the start of a new year, take this opportunity in the "Year of the Dog" to learn a few of the important lesson we can take from our best friend. 

Eugene Clark is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:
http://www.keyanhelp.cn/opinion/eugeneclark.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors only, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

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